title: Bridging communication gaps with the deaf.
authors.affiliation: Previously, on the deaf unit for psychiatric adult and adolescent patients at Worcester State Hospital in Worcester, Mass., Gregory K. Shuler was the charge nurse, Lisa A. Mistler was the attending psychiatrist, Kathleen Torrey was the nursing supervisor, and Rayne Depukat was the sign language interpreter. Currently, Mr. Schuler and Ms. Torrey are utilization coordinators in the performance improvement department at the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital in Worcester, Mass. Mr. Schuler is also an adjunct nursing professor at Worcester State University in Worcester, Mass. Dr. Mistler is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H., and an attending psychiatrist at New Hampshire Hospital in Concord, N.H. Ms. Depukat is a staff sign language interpreter at Advocates, Inc., in Framingham, Mass., and a freelance sign language interpreter.
authors.forename: Gregory K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Shuler
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Mistler
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torrey
authors.forename: Rayne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Depukat
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities